


ex nihilo

by wae



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Hackers, Angst, M/M, Organized Crime, Slow Burn, because codenames and shit, changki, changkyun is called i.m in the first half
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:41:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23004442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wae/pseuds/wae
Summary: It's like something out of a movie, a hitman and a hacker falling in love, except this is very much reality and it doesn't always end happily for the two of them.But they can try.
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34





	ex nihilo

**Author's Note:**

> a short glossary before we start:  
> ex nihilo - "out of nothing" in latin  
> geondal - the korean mafia  
> sarakin - japanese for "loan shark"  
> seven group - part of the national crime syndicate based in the us. my headcanon for this is got7 ofc lmao  
> css - in this case, means "cyber security system"
> 
> and that's it!

They first meet in a hospital.

Kihyun glances down at his sterling silver watch, counting the minutes it takes for Minhyuk to be discharged on account of his newly-healed leg injury. It reads 4:37 in the afternoon and he's been leaning against the sterile white walls for close to an hour now. Which means he's also been trying to ignore the weird kid standing beside him in this given period of time. Given the circumstances, he must be someone in the same line of work as Kihyun and his team, though he doesn't look the part. If the bandages all over his arms and his blank, faraway stare are any indications, then it must be true. The rumored addition to their group of specialists, perhaps? He must be the reason for the complete radio silence in projects lately. They're preparing for something grand, and Kihyun can sense the burden of importance thrust upon this stranger.

Minhyuk steps out of the doctor's consulting room at 4:40 on the dot, free from casts and crutches but still a bit unsteady on his left foot. He's already grinning from ear-to-ear, and Kihun relaxes, loosening his shoulders and joining Minhyuk on the waiting area chairs.

"You're wounded, and on top of that, the boss is making you act as a messenger pigeon, too?" Kihyun quips, watching the kid hover awkwardly out of the corner of his eye.

Minhyuk guffaws, his voice echoing through the empty hallways, his long limbs spread out everywhere on the seat. Now, there's the Minyhuk he knows. "Hyunwoo-hyung's being kind of a hardass right now. Guess who fucked up this time."

"I don't need to guess." Kihyun scoffs. The cause of Hyunwoo's current displeasure has Lee Jooheon written all over the picture. He juts a thumb over at the kid intently keeping tabs on their conversation. About time they address the elephant in the room. "Who's he, anyway?"

Both Minhyuk and the kid put on the same mischievous look at the mention of his existence. "This is our new tech expert slash intelligence agent, chosen directly by the big boss. He'll be joining us in our operations as of today."

"Yo."

Kihyun raises an eyebrow. Now that he looks at him clearly, he's wearing a graphic tee over ripped jeans and a pair of Timbs, while Minhyuk and Kihyun are all neatly suited up. He turns to Minhyuk. "Are you sure he belongs here and not at a PC bang playing video games?"

"How rude," the kid fake-pouts, "I'm also a professional like you."

Minhyuk pats Kihyun on the back. "Now, now, Kihyun-ah. He's well-known for his exceptional skills and high IQ, you know."

Honestly, Kihyun still highly doubts it, but he shakes his head and smiles wryly, offering a handshake. "Forgive me, I tend to misjudge others on the first meeting. I'm sure your appearance has nothing to do with your abilities."

The kid gives a questioning stare to his hand for a while, before huffing resignedly and taking it. Kihyun uses that as his cue to introduce himself, gripping the other's knuckles to show him who's in control. "I'm—"

His words are cut off and his knuckles are gripped back just as tightly, and now he's truly certain the hacker belongs to the same felonry as them. "Yoo Kihyun, 25, gun for hire. The X's right-hand man."

"Alright," Kihyun nods tersely. He gets it, the new hire needs to show off and prove himself worthy of their team. He's expecting that the boy has a lot of potential, but is that any way to speak to his senior? "No need for introductions, I assume?"

He shakes his head. "You don't know me. Just call me I.M."

"That settles it, then!" Minhyuk claps gleefully in their faces, and Kihyun doesn't know if he sucks at reading the atmosphere or he's just playing dumb with them. All these years, and he still can't figure it out. I.M covers up his amused expression with an eye-roll, but his upturned smile is still there. That's just the effect that Minhyuk has on everyone. He pushes Kihyun and I.M towards the direction of the exit, large hands insistent against their backs. "Formal introductions with the others will be done tomorrow, the boss decided that the two of you will be staying at HQ tonight. It's best to get along as soon as possible, so run along now!"

With a heavier weight on his heart than before, Kihyun leaves the hospital with his colleagues. He’d do anything for The X, even if it meant playing guardian for this kid of a hacker.

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


The ride to their headquarters in Kihyun’s Benz is uneventful, to say the least. None of them exchange pleasantries and I.M keeps staring out on the passenger side window listlessly. Like this, he looks far too grown-up for his age. He dozes off momentarily, the street lights reflecting off his peacefully slumbering profile, and Kihyun has to gently wake him with a shake to his shoulder when they reach their destination.

They’re quiet all the way through; entering the building, Kihyun preparing instant coffee, and settling down on the sofa a good distance apart from each other. It’s only when Kihyun takes a sip of long black that he breaks the suffocating silence.

"So, what brings you to our side?"

I.M languidly shifts his position so that he’s sitting cross-legged instead of slouching on the cushions. He blinks at Kihyun for a second, like he’s only recognizing his presence now. "Got dropped by my former team because they were done using me, that’s it, really."

Which means he now holds dirt on them just as much with the other group. I.M is definitely someone to look out for. Normally, Kihyun trusts in Hyunwoo's judgment but he's beginning to have second thoughts about this whole arrangement. He nods to the gauze wrapped around his forearms and the adhesive plasters all over his fingers. "That why you have those bandages all over?"

"Yeah,” I.M murmurs as he thumbs at a bruise on his knuckle, “I just got back from the job where those assholes left me behind to be almost maimed by the feds."

Considering all the injuries he sustained, he managed to run away from the authorities without being greatly harmed. This makes Kihyun think: the kid is surprisingly quick on his feet. And here he thought I.M was just another one of those indoorsy types that hole themselves up in front of a computer and never set foot where the daylight hits. He must’ve had his training. After all, an agent is an agent, no matter what their role is.

Kihyun can clearly see that I.M has his guard up despite his laid-back attitude, though. This just makes Kihyun want to put him through the wringer once more. He plants his elbows on the coffee table, fixing his gaze on him. "Should you be exposing your secrets right away to a stranger you just met?"

"Yeah, right," I.M scoffs, "those don't even come close to qualifying as secrets."

It’s just as he said. They're just general information, directly stated in I.M's file that Hyungwon had sent him earlier in the day. Kihyun's just testing him at this point, but any more of this back talk and the kid will end up higher on his personal shit list.

So Kihyun pushes. "That makes you a lot more dangerous, huh?"

But I.M pulls him in. "Very."

Reaching a conclusion, Kihyun reels back in his seat, grinning wickedly. "Good,” he proclaims. “If you try anything funny, I'll make sure your secrets will stay with you forever."

"How scary," I.M says in a mocking tone while he pretends to shiver, "I'm shaking in my boots."

"Speaking of boots," Kihyun then gestures to his footwear, irritated. "Take those off. You're indoors."

The eye-roll that I.M gives him is a perfectly mastered one, filled with childish dissatisfaction. "God. Minhyuk-hyung did say you can be one hell of a neat freak, but I never imagined it to be at this extent."

Of course, Minhyuk had something to say about Kihyun. He always does. And to a stranger, no less. Luckily for Kihyun, he has a multitude of threats to use when situations like these arise. "Is that going to be an issue? Because if so, you're more than welcome to sleep on the streets."

I.M sticks his tongue out at Kihyun while kicking off his Timbs on the floor. “I’m good here, thanks.”

That’s one problem resolved. It’s already been determined that they’re going to be sharing a living space with each other, due to the nature of their job that requires efficient working conditions. Now, if only Kihyun could figure out how to break down the mystery sitting right in front of him.

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


For the first time in months, The X will be having a general assembly meeting to discuss their current assignment. They’re supposed to meet up by 10 A.M, which is no big deal for Kihyun, but on the other hand, a certain someone is still asleep after pulling an all-nighter and setting up his equipment on the living room.

“Yah,” Kihyun growled. “We’ve got a meeting today. Did you forget already?”

An unintelligible groan comes in reply to him from under the cocoon of blankets on the sofa.

“Honestly…” Kihyun mutters to himself. “First day on the job and he’s already like this…”

“I’m going, I’m going,” says the cocoon who has miraculously emerged into a messy-haired boy from within it. Not wanting to waste another minute, Kihyun yanks I.M up to stand and basically drags him to the bathroom, telling him to hurry up and shower. He’s still very much half-asleep, but Kihyun makes sure to yell at him when his movements get a little too apathetic.

They barely make it in time upstairs in the meeting room, Kihyun is trying to sneak in a quick breakfast of a vegetable sandwich and I.M is having difficulty tying his necktie. Somewhere in the middle of their struggles, they decide to just say _‘fuck it’_ and barge in completely unprepared.

“You’re late, Kihyun-ah,” Hyunwoo points out as soon as they enter. Beside him, Minhyuk stifles a laugh. “But I see you’ve brought our new member along with you.”

Kihyun clears his throat to mask his embarrassment. It’s unusual for him to be behind schedule and everyone knows it too. “We’re very sorry for the delay, everyone. I was simply instructing I.M-ssi on the formalities of our organization.” I.M mouths _‘no, he wasn’t’_ to Minhyuk who outright snickers, but it goes unnoticed by Kihyun.

Beaming in amusement, Hyunwoo instructs them to sit, like he’s a preschool teacher and not the head of a feared crime syndicate. “Now, then, please introduce yourself,” he tells I.M, who rises to his feet and bows to everyone.

“I am I.M,” he says, with a matching peace sign to go with it. All the members seem to find it endearing, except for Jooheon who grumbles sulkily in the corner, and Kihyun, who continues watching, absolutely devoid of emotion.

"Welcome aboard," Hoseok chirped, in a tone that is so him, bright and lively and just so happy to meet a new friend.

"I'm looking forward to working with you." Another one to fall for I.M’s antics is Hyungwon, who usually doesn’t warm up to people that fast. And yet, here he is, taking I.M’s hand in his like it’s nothing.

"Don't be so formal," Minhyuk slides in between them, slinging his lanky arms over Hyungwon and I.M's shoulders, "we're all family here!"

"Thanks," I.M nods his agreement. "I'll remember that." Funny, Kihyun doesn't recall him acting this politely with him. They're still learning the ropes around each other, getting to know their own idiosyncrasies, but he feels as if he’s being given the cold shoulder, somewhat.

But Kihyun can’t afford to think about that right now. Introductions are over, which means it’s time to get down to business.

The members of The X were originally henchmen under the reign of the geondal, but they have long since chosen to part ways and operate independently as an organized crime syndicate. Four years later, they've become one of the most sought-out organizations for doing dirty work for the underworld's bigshots. Larceny, assassinations, you name it, they'll do their job and they'll do it efficiently, which makes them stand out among the rest.

"We've got a big assignment this time, gentlemen. Maybe the biggest one we've handled yet."

Kihyun is only half paying attention to Hyunwoo as he prattles on about the specifics of their latest scheme. The spacious meeting room that they've been using from the start suddenly feels like it's one person too crowded because of how overwhelming I.M's presence is. He's sitting with both legs crossed on their fancy couch, sparing a single bored look to the glossy 10x12 photograph Hyunwoo slides over the table.

"Most powerful tycoon in the West Coast,” Hyunwoo explains. “Our client's a financier who's got a grudge against this man, he apparently loaned billions from him to establish his businesses and hasn't made a move to return any despite his abundant profits."

"So, our guy's a rich and vengeful loan shark,” Minhyuk hums thoughtfully. “Kind of reminds me of something."

Jooheon cracks his knuckles. "It's just like Tokyo, all over again."

Tokyo had been a long time ago, but it was their most memorable trip where they pulled off their most grandiose operation ever, a takedown of an affiliated sarakin of Japan's most feared yakuza faction who ruined many a business. It's always been about money, money, money. Whenever there's a job like this, it's always standard procedure for only the most skilled contract killers to work with hackers of the same caliber to help them break in and get it done easily. The world nowadays is so heavily reliant on technology that it's impossible to get anywhere without bypassing some kind of security system, and that's exactly what I.M is here for.

He certainly knows it too, and he seems confident with the way he looks unbothered by the flow of current events. _Self-righteous little brat._

"Kihyun-ah," Hyunwoo’s voice cuts through Kihyun’s thoughts like a razor, "have you ever been to Las Vegas?"

Something stirs in Kihyun's gut. He has a bad feeling about this. "No," he replies, straightening his posture.

Hyunwoo nods, turning to I.M who's already staring expectantly. "How about you, I.M-ssi?"

"Not in a while, I haven't. It's been five years, at best."

"Today's your lucky day." Hyunwoo leans back against the synthetic leather of his armchair, tossing a couple of fake passports across the oak conference table. "I'll have you both be flown out to Nevada on a first-class plane by this evening. Our friends from the Seven Group will be helping us out on this operation."

"What about us?" There's a sound of protest from Jooheon, who's eager to be out and about again, as usual. However, Hyunwoo shuts him up before he can complain any further. "The rest will follow. For now, I need the two of them to be leading this case."

He still looks unsatisfied, but there’s nothing he can do about it. "Well, if it's what the boss says, we just have to play along, right?" Jooheon grumbles.

Hoseok, sensing Jooheon’s aggravation, pats him consolingly at the back of the hand. "Just think of it as them giving us a headstart. Kihyun and I.M will be laying out the foundation for us over there, while we're here preparing how this all plays out."

If Kihyun wasn’t feeling under pressure then, he definitely is now. He— no, _they_ can’t let their team down. As a man of his words, Kihyun only finds it fitting that he makes a pledge in front of his sworn brothers.

“I’ll do my best,” he promises, holding the combined weight of their gazes on his back.

I.M gives him a simpering look, something like a challenge in his eyes.

“Believe me,” he declares, “I can do better.”

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


Twelve hours.

That’s how long a flight takes from Korea to the United States. It should go without saying that after twelve hours, Kihyun is about as burned out as a cigarette. Speaking of cigarettes— he badly needs one right now, but there’s a public smoking ban issued and they’re on the streets making a scope of the perimeter right now. In case they need to make a run for it, Kihyun makes it a practice of his to familiarize himself with the area, taking note of all the possible escape routes in the vicinity.

"For how long are we gonna do this? I’m bored." I.M struts along the crosswalk with no luggage in tow and only a cup of steaming hot caramel macchiato in his grasp, looking very much the picture of a rich boy from the area rather than a black-hat cybercriminal who will potentially destroy a virtual mainframe in a few hours. He's even wearing a pair of designer sunglasses, for god's sake.

Kihyun simply shakes his head disapprovingly. How I.M didn’t get the soul sucked out of him after that exhausting flight is way beyond him. "Where's your equipment?"

"Chill," I.M replies airily, licking at some of the cream gathered on the lid of his cup. A bit catches on the corner of his lip. The sight is oddly tempting. "The bellhop carried it up to our suite already."

Kihyun starts snapping pictures of the alleyways, memorizing the street names and roads they’ve taken in the process. Meanwhile, I.M is merely doing some sightseeing. "Come on,” he whines, “we're finally out here in Vegas. Let's enjoy it while there's still time."

Kihyun frowns. “This isn’t a holiday.”

“Don’t be a wet blanket,” I.M counters. “This is why the others call you a grandpa.”

Without a doubt, Minhyuk is the only one who may have relayed that piece of useless information to I.M. Kihyun shoots him a cursory glance. He’ll have to get Minhyuk back for that later.

Technically, their job has already started the second they stepped into this foreign land, but Kihyun supposes it wouldn’t hurt to do some touristy stuff once in a while. This is his first time in Nevada, after all, what harm could it be?

"Fine," he gives in. "But not now. We need to at least finish the first part of our information gathering, and then we can go."

Tilting his head to one side, I.M regards him with a sort of half-smile. Sunlight pours down on the edge of his profile, making him glow luminously. "I guess you're not so bad after all," he says.

The pit of Kihyun's chest feels like it aches. He thought he’s been numb for years, but apparently, he’s not. There’s just something about I.M that slowly brings down Kihyun’s defenses, the more human aspects about himself that he’s learned to forget over the past years. Work comes first before everything else, though, so he holds off, just like he always has.

“I think we’re done here,” he decides. “Come on. That target of ours won’t find itself.”

Not too long after, they get back to the hotel they’ll be staying at, a modest three-star establishment to let them conceal their identities easier and blend in with the crowd. In no time at all, the heap of suitcases on the suite’s carpeted floor turns into a mess of wires and computers invading their space.

“Guess I’ll start tracking down that casino our target owns, then?” I.M peers up at Kihyun from behind his triple monitor setup. Briefly, Kihyun wonders if one person really needs that many screens, but then again, this is a hacker we’re talking about. “Go ahead,” he nods. “You’re the expert here.”

For a while, Kihyun leaves him be and does his own thing so I.M can concentrate, checking all the facilities in their suite and unpacking his own luggage, then came I.M’s triumphant voice from the little nest of cables and cords he’s made in the bedroom.

“Found it!”

_Well, that was quick._ As quiet as a mouse, Kihyun makes his way behind I.M to watch his progress. He almost can’t keep up with it, there’s a shitload of things going on at once in all three screens, and it all moves too fast to comprehend.

“Looks like their CSS is no joke either,” I.M mutters to himself, biting at a fingernail. “Something shady’s definitely going on...”

At first, Kihyun had doubted I.M's capabilities, but this time, he needed to work his way around a complicated security system, painting him in a new light. Now Kihyun’s regretting that he didn’t put his faith in this kid sooner.

Kihyun leans in closer, narrowing his eyes. “So, you think the casino’s just a front for another business? And a questionable one, at that?”

I.M grimaces. “No doubt about it. For their systems to be this protected, it’s highly possible that they’re hiding something else. If it was just a plain old gambling place, there’d be no need for this level of security.”

For the hundredth time, the display on the screens change, codes of binary flooding the screen, green text over a black background reminiscent of some hit 1990's science fiction film. It continues on like that, I.M typing without a pause until the numbers disappear and a series of command windows takes its place.

"The hell was that? The Matrix?" Kihyun quips, a mix of curious and wanting to lighten up the mood.

But I.M responds to him seriously, "A cryptogram. Those numbers from earlier were both clues and a puzzle I had to solve."

"How did you even manage to bypass that?"

"Long process, it's hard to explain," I.M absentmindedly mutters as his fingers glide like lightning over the keyboard. "I have my ways."

Kihyun has always considered himself intelligent, but he decides that there are just some things that he simply can't understand even if he uses all of his comprehension. "I guess they don't call you a genius for nothing," he admits.

The clacking of fingers on the keyboard stops for a moment. I.M has a more relaxed look on his face now compared to earlier. "I hear you're considered The X's brain, too."

Kihyun blinks, surprised. His chest swells with a feeling of pride for a moment, which is strange coming from just a tiny bit of acknowledgment from their newest member. "Maybe," he replied, "I'm no code-cracker, though."

A long silence stretches out over them. I.M doesn’t say anything more with the way he’s focused on his own task. Normally, Kihyun would just keep his mouth shut in crucial situations such as this one, but today he’s feeling a little out of himself. For what reason, exactly? He doesn’t know.

"Anything I can do to be of assistance?" he lets slip. It seems a bit like a trap made to lure I.M in, to gouge him of any reaction at all, to urge him to _just look at me, goddamnit—_

The prey gives in.

"Hm, okay. How about a cup of coffee?"

Kihyun laughs. Not because anything’s funny. Because he’s being so absurd right now.

“Coming right up.”

“Scratch that.” I.M turns to him once more, expression unreadable. “I want a full course meal, instead.”

For a split-second, Kihyun wants to accept, but that fine line of professional boundary takes over and he suddenly remembers his place. They’re just teammates. And he is a superior that needs to act like one right now.

He masks the guilt with a playful grin. "Don't push your luck, rookie."

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


“I just don’t understand why the new guy gets to go on ahead of us while we’ve been busting our asses off for years. It’s unfair."

As discussed, the rest of their team lands in Nevada a day and a half later. Kihyun has just arrived at the airport to pick them up, and Jooheon's already complaining about their newest member.

Being the voice of reason in their team, Hyungwon is the first one who corrects Jooheon's words. "I don't think you're realizing that he's also been on this path for quite some time now," he states matter-of-factly, causing Jooheon to whine even more.

"Even so, that doesn't mean he should be the one to make headway for us," Jooheon huffs. Hyungwon shakes his head in exasperation at him. "Do you want to go out like a bullet?" he retorts. "I.M is here so we can do our job with less chances of failing. In other words, he's our safety net."

By now, Jooheon has a very sour look on his face. It looks like any moment now and he's going to explode. And he does. "But I used to be the team's resident hacker!" he raged. At this point, he's just outright having one of his infamous temper tantrums, which means it's Kihyun's turn to step in.

"Jooheon," Kihyun calls out in that strict voice he only uses for the sole purpose of shutting people up. "You're just as important to the team as I.M is. We need both of you. This is work, there's no favoritism or chain of command here. We're all just equals."

Ultimately, Jooheon keeps silent for the rest of their walk to the vehicle rental service station. He's still scowling, but he seems like he's reflecting upon himself at the same time. The atmosphere is somewhat tense, so Minhyuk clears his throat to speak. "Well, let's just take it easy for now, shall we?

For the first time since they've arrived, Hyunwoo speaks. Everyone cowers over the authority of his stare. He doesn't look angry, but they would know better that what’s on the surface isn't always the truth. "Go cool your heads off," he declared. "We'll have a meeting in the evening and then rest for the night. I expect you all to be settled down by then."

In an attempt to make the air less strained, Hoseok decides that it's better that they give each other some space in the meantime. He slips into the driver's seat of a silver Chevrolet and waves at Kihyun's direction. "We'll be going on ahead of you guys. Let's see each other later at the hotel, alright? Drive safely!"

Minhyuk waves back to Hoseok as Hyunwoo coaxes a sulking Jooheon into the backseat with him. They drive off, and Kihyun is left with Minhyuk and Hyungwon. It's an inopportune combination, given that they'll most likely use this time to harp on him collectively. Before they can get a jab at him, Kihyun enters a plain black Subaru and slams the door shut for some momentary silence. But that doesn't last for even a few seconds because his two companions are already piling into the four-seater with him.

"Just now," Minhyuk starts to speak, and it's just as dreadful as he feared, "were you defending I.M? Did you already get on his good side while we were away?"

Kihyun swerves along the corner of the road a tad too roughly. His knuckles are turning white from how hard he's gripping the steering wheel. "It’s simply that he's a very valuable asset to our team," he countered. "Even an imbecile could figure it out."

"Oh?" Hyungwon peeks out from behind the driver's seat, his voice going three octaves higher. "You say 'asset' but I hear something else. Why is that?" When his reflection appears on the rear-view mirror, Kihyun resists the urge to smash it into a million tiny broken pieces.

Minhyuk collapses into a wheezing mess on Hyungwon's shoulder, far too amused at the whole situation. "Look at his face," he jeered as he rudely pointed at Kihyun's back. "The last time he's been this angry was when Jihoon's gang got black-out drunk and trashed the whole HQ that one night!"

“This and that are two different matters,” Kihyun grunts.

Hyungwon raises his eyebrow, the one he always does when he’s about to make another smartass comment. “From the way I see this,” he says, “I.M seems to have ignited a flame inside Kihyun. A flame that has long since died out.”

“Ooh!” Minhyuk squeals in delight. It’s ear-piercingly loud. “Could this be the character development we’ve all been waiting for?!”

Even though Kihyun tries his best to focus on the road where the rest of the team’s car is driving ahead of them and nothing else, he knows that he can’t worm his way out of this conversation. “Are you implying that my personality is bad?”

“No offense, Ki, but you’re kind of an insufferable prick sometimes.”

Kihyun shoots a fleeting glare at Minhyuk. “No offense, my ass.”

Minhyuk sniffs. “Sensitive as ever, I see.”

They pause as the stoplight turns red. Kihyun drums his fingers against the surface of the wheel. No one says anything, until the light goes green and they steadily pass by the crosswalk. Hyungwon speaks again, softer this time. Placatingly. “All I’m saying is, he could be a catalyst for change. And right now, it looks like you badly need that change in your life, Kihyun.”

The road clears up in front of Kihyun's eyes, but his mind remains muddled with complicated thoughts.

"You're never going to be the same person as you were before," Hyungwon continues, "but you can be someone better than your past self was."

"I wonder," Kihyun says quietly, seemingly more to himself than to them. “At this point, don’t you think that I’ve lost myself altogether?”

Through the mirror, he sees Minhyuk and Hyungwon exchange looks before settling into an uneasy silence. They drive the rest of the way back to the hotel without any more words, with only the car engine's muted hum filling the void in between.

When they get there, Kihyun doesn't say anything else, he just parks the car outside and leaves Minhyuk and Hyungwon to check into their suite as he proceeds to his own room. They don’t call out for him either. By now, these two know better to leave Kihyun alone than to drive him to a wall when he’s in one of his mood swings. This happens more times than Kihyun would like to admit, everyone knows he’s prickly, he’s sensitive, too hard on himself. It’s simply how he’s been from the start, and there was no turning back from that.

Kihyun takes a deep breath before keying in the lock to their door. He'd been half-expecting I.M to be hunched in front of the computer again, but instead, he's greeted by the cold chill of the air conditioning and his colleague nestled atop the pristine, cream-colored duvets. It would be a peaceful sight, but I.M just had to be wearing _only_ his boxers.

Kihyun tries to move as carefully as possible to not wake him, but he still stirs at the slightest sound of steps padding across the carpet. As expected of someone who’s been trained to notice even the smallest, most insignificant details.

“Back so soon?” I.M mumbles as he rolls over on the bed to face Kihyun. “Did something happen? You’re making a... really frowny face.” His words are interrupted by a few tiny yawns here and there, and it’s difficult to not reach out and ruffle his already mussed up hair.

“It’s nothing. We had a discussion earlier, and there were some differences in opinions.”

“About what?”

_You’re the one we argued about. All of this is your fault._ There was no way that Kihyun could tell him that, so he merely waved off the topic, avoiding I.M’s stare. “Just trivial, unimportant matters,” he lied, even though there was nothing trivial and unimportant about him. “That’s it, really.”

“Hm. If you say so.”

I.M rolls over on the bed again, exposing the bare skin of his back. Kihyun’s eyes are glued to the spot where there’s a purple bruise imprinted onto his left scapula. He also sees black ink decorating him in intricate designs. Rather impatiently, Kihyun shrugged his blazer off and draped it over a chair, wracking his brain for anything to break the silence. _Anything at all._

“Anyway,” he said, voice strained, “we’ll be having a general assembly later on to finalize our plans. Don’t oversleep, don’t wander off somewhere, just— Don’t be late, understand?” 

There was a slight pause, and then I.M was pulling the blankets over his whole body, like a crustacean retreating into its shell. “I got it already. Take a break or something, you sound like a wreck.” 

Even though the other can’t see him, Kihyun smiled wearily, sitting down on the edge of his own bed. “Are you worried about me?” 

“What do you think?” 

“I think you are.” 

“Then don’t ask if you already know, dummy!” 

For that short while, Kihyun feels as if he can forget everything else and just get lost in this moment right now. He tips his head back and laughs out loud, not missing the way I.M peeks from underneath his blanket and glares at him childishly. “You really are an interesting one.” 

“Finally,” I.M says. 

“What?” 

“You laughed. I’ve never seen you laugh before.” 

The statement was so direct and unbidden that Kihyun’s heart nearly leaped out of his throat. Yet, it was right. Kihyun doesn’t even remember the last time he laughed so unabashedly like this. “And now, you have.” 

The cheeky smirk was back on I.M’s face. “It’s not such a bad look on you.” 

Kihyun huffs as he falls back onto the mattress. He feels so light. Like he’s floating in midair. A lazy grin makes its way onto his face. “Oh, please. I always look good.” 

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  


Their ‘general assembly’ is nothing more than the seven of them huddling together in Hyunwoo and Hoseok’s shared room, the cable TV showing reruns of adult cartoons drowning out their muted discourse. 

Hyunwoo is plopped down on the sofa in front of the television console, looking more haggard than he has been in years. “Hoseok,” he says, “I’m leaving the rundown in your charge. It’s all up to you now.” 

“Aye-aye, captain,” Hoseok salutes, standing up from his seat and shifting immediately into business mode. 

“Alright, listen up, everybody. Here’s the plan,” He announces as he paces around the fully-packed room with his hands on his hips. Hoseok’s the underboss, second-in-command, but even Kihyun can’t take him seriously when _Family Guy_ is playing as the background of his authoritative speech. “Tomorrow, we’ll be making preparations before kicking off this mission. I.M and Kihyun will be infiltrating The All In Casino to dismantle their security measures. Jooheon and Minhyuk, you’re on stakeout duty. Keep an eye on these two. Hyungwon and I need to settle some arrangements with our suppliers. Those guns aren’t going to carry themselves, you know. And Hyunwoo will be making negotiations with the Seven Group to back us up in case all hell breaks loose.” 

To be honest, it’s not their best set-up but they were never ones to do things elaborately and the team isn’t in peak condition yet, still adjusting to the sudden deviation to their routine. Hyunwoo looks tired out and he barely has the energy to ask, “Are we clear, men?” 

A team has to stay collected for their leader, though, so they reply in unison, “Crystal.” 

For a few seconds, Hoseok just stands there awkwardly before scratching his neck. “Well, uh. That’s it, I guess?” Kihyun cracks a smile. Hoseok has always been too pure and sincere and stupidly honest. This is why Hyunwoo’s the leader, because while he’s strong and capable, he’s also silent and clueless to a fault. They balance each other out in that regard. 

Hyunwoo sighs. “Yes, that’s it. You’re all dismissed. Now, get out of my room.” Beside him, Hoseok springs into action, shooing everyone except for Minhyuk who’s stubbornly laying on Hyunwoo’s bed, not budging even an inch. “That’s right, you heard him. The boss needs his beauty sleep.” 

Minhyuk pouts while the rest of the members file out of the room, “We were supposed to watch the football game together!” His puppy dog eyes don’t really work on Hoseok and Hyunwoo anymore, they’ve grown immune to it throughout the years, although there are still rare occasions when they give in to his whims. This is one of those times, and Kihyun would laugh at the ridiculousness of it, but he has better things to do. 

Kihyun follows the other three to the hallway, lightly sprinting to catch up with them. “Jooheon!” he calls out, wrapping his fingers around Jooheon’s elbow. Hyungwon sends a small glance in his direction, and heads over to I.M to occupy him in a conversation so that Kihyun can be alone with Jooheon. Truthfully, Kihyun hasn’t properly talked to Hyungwon and Minhyuk ever since he lost his cool at them the past day, but they know him best out of everyone in the team, they’re used to these sort of instances happening, that’s why it’s okay to leave things as they are with those two. Because time will heal them. That’s their resolution. But Jooheon isn’t that sort of person, he needs reassurance more than anything, and so Kihyun is determined to set the record straight once and for all. 

“Huh?” Jooheon’s tone is cold and emotionless, even though Kihyun knows he’s probably moping inside. 

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday.” 

“What’s there to be sorry about?” 

Kihyun puts an arm around his shoulder as they walk. Skinship always seems to make Jooheon feel better, no matter how dejected he is. “I know I lashed out on you at that time. It’s not my intention to take anyone’s side, but I just wanted you to realize that misunderstandings like this in the group can lead to bigger disputes.” 

When Jooheon stays silent, Kihyun breathes out heavily. “Jooheon-ah, I wish you could learn to accept him.” Instead of taking the elevator, Kihyun leads him to the stairwell so they can talk a bit longer. “You know, I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea at first. I thought Hyunwoo-hyung had made the wrong decision by bringing him here. There was nothing seemingly remarkable about him. He looked like a total amateur. He looked like— just a kid.” 

At this, Jooheon’s eyebrows shoot up slightly, like he’s having trouble believing this. He’s still listening, though, so Kihyun keeps at it. “I had no choice but to put up with him. So, I did. Along the way, I tried to figure him out. To prove if he’s worthy of being in the same team with us. And then, I saw it. He’s… really out of the ordinary.” 

Jooheon stops in his tracks. “I don’t know,” he says, tentatively. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do that. It may look selfish to you but I— Letting him in so easily just makes it seem like I’ve forgotten what our past comrades have done for us. If I do that, it’ll be just like throwing away all their efforts down the drain!” 

A sharp thorn pricks at Kihyun’s chest. He hasn’t forgotten. He never will, and neither will the rest of their team. In the past, they were plenty in numbers, they were young and foolish and wasted their spirits on a way of living that did no good to them. The past continued to chain Kihyun down, but for once, he wanted to break free from it. 

Having lost all his reason, Kihyun clutches Jooheon’s shoulder, desperate. “Please,” he begged. “Just try. For me. For the team.” 

Jooheon turns away from him. “I won’t make any promises.” 

Kihyun’s not asking him to make any promises. Only that he tried. That was enough for him. 

“Jooheon. Thank you, really.” 

For a second, Jooheon freezes as if he wants to say something, but then he’s walking down the stairs without another look at Kihyun. 

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


“Good morning.” 

“Fucking hell—” 

The bottle of aftershave in Kihyun’s hand drops on the countertop with a loud clatter. “You scared the shit out of me!” he shouts at I.M, who’s currently poking his head out from behind the bathroom door. It’s still 8 A.M, way too early for him to be up and running when he usually gets out of bed in the afternoon. 

“Ready for today?” I.M ignores his complaints, reaching around Kihyun to grab his toothbrush off its holder on the shelf. The area where his chest and Kihyun’s arm come in contact is strangely warm to the touch. 

“Why are you so pumped about this?” Kihyun asks in disbelief. 

“Is it bad for me to get excited?” I.M sticks his tongue out at him. Kihyun pretends not to notice how long it is. “It’s been a while since I got to work like this again.” 

At least one of them is actually motivated. Kihyun just wants to get this over with and take a good, long rest afterwards. Maybe go somewhere tropical. He hears the Bahamas are perfect this time of year. “Well,” he says. “That’s fine, I guess.” 

They get done freshening up, and then I.M’s sliding into the shower stall, stripping out of his clothes without any regard for Kihyun’s presence. “Wha–” He protests, “couldn’t you at least wait ‘til I’m out of here?” 

“So conservative,” I.M replies with a laugh. The underwear comes off, too, tossed on the floor carelessly. Kihyun bristled, staring him down. 

It’s crooked. It’s inappropriate. He shouldn’t be feeling this way. Kihyun doesn’t even know anything about him, apart from what’s written in his personnel records. There should be a boundary in here somewhere, but everything’s so blurry and unfocused that he can’t even differentiate between what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. 

Kihyun turns on his heel. “I’m leaving. Hurry up so we can make it in time for brunch.” 

The sound of running water starts. A few seconds pass before he gets a reply. “Roger that.” 

Kihyun hurries out of the room. 

_Today is going to be such an exhausting day._

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  


"Morning, hyung." 

Someone latches onto Kihyun's shoulder as soon as he steps into the hotel's dining area. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees who it is. 

"Jooheon?" _I thought you were mad at me,_ he wanted to say, but his words fell short. 

"So, today's the big day, huh?" Jooheon asked, a lilt to his voice as if he were talking about the weather or something equally inconsequential. It caught Kihyun off guard, he wasn't used to this sort of matter concerning Jooheon because he would always take his time to brood for a couple of days before talking to him again when they got into a quarrel. 

He shrugged it off, though, Kihyun took this as a sign of Jooheon maturing, and he was glad for that. He wasn't the same uncontrollable punk that he was before. 

"Yeah," Kihyun replied, relaxing into Jooheon's space as they fell in synchronized steps with each other. "It'll only get busier for us from now on." 

"Eh," Jooheon shrugged. "We can take it. After that half-year break we took, I'm prepared for pretty much anything they throw at us." 

Kihyun chuckled. He's always liked that about Jooheon, his ability to bounce back and overcome any obstacles blocking his path. 

"Hey, wait up!" Another voice called out behind them. It was I.M, running towards them at a leisurely pace, his hair still damp from the shower. 

"We saved you a seat," Jooheon told him, then he turned to Kihyun and said, "I'm gonna go on ahead and get some food before those guys empty the buffet table." 

Watching him walk away, Kihyun feels a little sentimental, like he's watching Jooheon grow up before his very eyes. He might cry if he keeps thinking about it, so he leads I.M to the table where the rest of their team is sitting. Minhyuk waved them over, and Hyungwon gave a sleepy smile as they approached. 

At that moment, it seemed like the fractures in his being were gradually mending themselves. If this is what having a family felt like, then Kihyun never wanted to lose it in his grasp, ever. 

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


After I.M’s insistent urging that they take a joyride through town first, they’re now on their way to the casino that the target is supposed to be conducting operations in. Three hours of driving later, their rental car breaks down on the side of the road that fortunately has minimal traffic. It's not that Hyunwoo didn't give them enough pocket money, but a more expensive vehicle means more suspicion, especially with two foreign men in it. Kihyun gets off at the same time that I.M does, and when they do, they exchange looks with each other over the car's roof. 

A few seconds pass. Kihyun speaks first before even I.M has the chance to. "Well, I better get to work. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's fixing machines." 

I.M shrugs. "That makes two of us." 

"Computers and vehicles are two very different things," Kihyun argued. "Maybe just stick with your expertise." 

I.M clicks his tongue at him, and it's only a little bit irritating. "Are you underestimating this genius of mine?" 

"Look, do you want to delay us any further? I'm telling you to just leave this one to me." 

"Hey, I was just trying to help!" 

Kihyun pulls his sleeves up to his elbows, sighing. "If you want to help, then just sit back and watch." He begins by opening the coupe's hood and fanning the smoke wafting from the engine. 

"Crap," he says as he checks the multitude of wirings and motors inside. 

"How's it looking over there?" I.M asks. He's already made himself comfortable, sitting down on the trunk with his legs crossed. 

Kihyun takes one look at his posture and shakes his head. _How frivolous._ "The fuse is blown. It won't start. We're going to have this thing towed and sent to the repair shop." 

_"Whaaat?"_

"This is because you convinced me to drive around and stop by all those places…" 

"But you agreed anyway." 

Kihyun internally cursed at himself. "Ugh. I did, didn't I?" 

"Now what?" I.M hops off the car, dragging the sole of his sneakers across the concrete. 

Kihyun can't believe he has to go through this. The GPS on his phone says they still have twelve kilometers to go until their destination. He quickly scoured the internet for contact numbers of nearby repair shops, and sent them a text. Resignedly, he says, "And now, we walk." 

"You said you were good at fixing cars!" I.M yelled. 

"I am! It's just— we've got no time right now, alright?" He yelled back. 

“This is no fun. Definitely not the weekend getaway in Vegas that I was picturing.” I.M threw his hands up in the air, defeated. 

They were going nowhere with all this squabbling. Despite himself, Kihyun was feeling a warm sort of giddiness gathering in the crevices of his stomach. Like a hundred butterflies flitting about. "Then… I’ve got an idea," he tugged on the sleeve of I.M's jacket. "I'll race you there." 

"No way," the other laughed incredulously, "you're crazy if you think I'm going to run for that long." 

It isn’t like Kihyun to act like this. I.M’s raucous attitude must have passed on to him. His grin glints like a sharp blade underneath the street lamps. "Here's one thing you should know about me; I'm very crazy." 

"You're on." 

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  


"Dammit," I.M pants breathlessly, clutching at his knees, “that was such a bad idea.” 

Beside him, Kihyun is wiping the sweat gathered on his brow. “Let’s just agree to disagree.” 

They’re in front of the All In Casino now, and the van that Jooheon and Minhyuk are in can be spotted parked a few ways from it, inconspicuous enough so that normal passerby won’t suspect a thing. The pair are watching their every move to ensure that the infiltration will go by without a hitch, but they can never be too careful. 

Breaking and entering isn’t really that hard of a task, at least not for Kihyun. Anyone would notice that his body type is more on the slender side, and well, I.M is too, so this shouldn’t be that difficult for them. Their way might be a tad too overused, but going in through the air vents is without a doubt their best bet right now. 

They go around the building, looking for any signs of a duct system on the walls. Soon enough, they find one, but it’s pretty high up to the point that they can’t reach it. Kihyun’s surveying the area to find anything they can use as a makeshift stepladder, but nothing looks useful so he improvises. 

“Here,” he tells I.M, “climb up on my shoulders.” 

“Uh,” is his very intelligent reply. 

“It’s the only way we can go through,” Kihyun explains, rummaging in his pockets for the Swiss Army knife that he always keeps on him. He hands it to I.M, who just stares between the knife and Kihyun bewilderedly. “I need you to undo the screws and remove the grate first. Surely, you know how to do that, right?” 

“Of course I know how to,” he snaps back. “And you? How will you get in?” 

_Oh._ The realization kicks into Kihyun’s brain a moment too late. Is he worried about him? He bites back the smile that threatens to spill on his lips. “I’ll manage somehow.” 

“You’re really— Nevermind.” I.M had this incomprehensible expression on his face, but it faded out as quickly as it came. Leaving no room for arguments, Kihyun crouched down on the ground and patted his shoulder as if to say, _‘get on.’_

Even though he rolled his eyes, I.M still did so, and Kihyun carefully stood up until the vent was perfectly eye-level with him. Just as he thought. A couple of runts like them could never do this alone. Kihyun hated admitting it but it was the truth. Though, I.M seemed a little bit flimsier than him. 

“You’re light,” he pointed out while his companion was busy dismantling the metal frames blocking their entrance. “Are you sure you’re eating properly?” 

“We’re about the same weight,” I.M grumbled unhappily. A loud clang resounded as the grates hit concrete. 

“I hope you haven’t forgotten that this is an infiltration. We’re supposed to be quiet.” Kihyun clicked his tongue. 

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” I.M laughed, and then he’s clambering off Kihyun’s shoulders and into the vents. With a curse, Kihyun lifted himself up using his upper body as leverage, and followed suit. 

The space inside is cramped and dark, smelling like stale air and mold. Even in this state, I.M still manages to make light of the situation while crawling on all fours. “Don’t you dare check out my ass while we’re in here,” he said. 

Kihyun scoffed. “You wish.” 

Besides, he can barely see anything, all he knows is that they’re trailing down the singular pathway laid out in front of them, and sooner or later they’ll emerge somewhere inside the casino. Somewhere safe, he hopes. But that’s probably not happening. He can see where the vent ends now, there’s a faint light ahead, but he also senses that they’ve got company where they’re about to land. I.M stops in front of him, he must’ve felt it too. Judging by the noises, there’s maybe two or three of them? The light illuminates I.M’s eyes as he turns back to look at Kihyun. Kihyun nods. _We can take them._

It’s all a blur from there. 

I.M crashes into the room below them, startling the men guarding the area. Kihyun’s estimation was right, there are only three guards, all of them have guns, but their reaction time is slow. Too slow for Kihyun. 

“What the—” One of them barely finishes his sentence before he’s being pinned to the floor. Kihyun grabs hold of his forearm, twists it in his bare hands. The sound of bones breaking and the pained screams of agony are things he can never get used to, but, oh well. All part of the job. 

I.M’s a pretty decent fighter, too. He holds off the guards in a different way than Kihyun, instead of facing them head on, he uses his agility to his advantage and then sneaks in strikes when they least expect it. The men are twice his size, but he manages to get one in a chokehold, obstructing his line of breathing until he topples over to the ground, unconscious. The last guard is knocked out cold by Kihyun with a blow to his skull. Now, the only problem is how they’re going to dispose of these men. 

“Cut off the wires of all the security cameras you can find,” Kihyun orders. “I’ll clean these up while you’re at it.” 

“Gotcha,” I.M responds, dusting off his palms on the fabric of his jeans. 

Other than injecting tranquilizer darts into the necks of the now fallen guards and dragging their bodies into an empty supply closet, Kihyun can’t think of any more ideas on how to tidy this mess up. In the meantime, this will have to do. They’ll wake up in a few hours or so, with little to no recollection of the attack. 

“I’m all set here.” I.M waves at him, standing in front of a set of industrial-looking double doors. “These big-ass doors should lead to the control room based on the blueprints I’ve found.” 

“Good,” Kihyun says. “Let’s finish this up in double-time. I could use some much needed R&R after this.” 

“You and me both.” 

The so-called control room isn’t that impressive. At least that’s what I.M says when they enter and inspect their surroundings. Surveillance screens of the whole casino fill the space, but other than that, their safety measures seem to be sparse, a few computers here, some breakers and generators there. 

“Weird,” I.M thinks aloud. “I was expecting this to have a little bit more…” 

“What, cutting edge technology?” Kihyun finishes for him, snorting. “This place is a total shithole. You’d have no trouble breaking down their security system, if you could even call it that.” 

They start planting bugs all around the room, in spots that can’t be easily discerned. For now, they’ll have to monitor the micro cameras and listening devices for a few days to collect more intel, given that they go unnoticed by the people manning the control room. 

“I appreciate the compliment,” I.M hums delightfully. “Praise me more, won’t you?” 

“I’m busy here. Compliment yourself.” 

“Ah, yes. What can’t I do? Hacking, combat, speaking six languages, being so jaw-droppingly handsome—” 

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Kihyun’s neck pricks up. _There’s someone coming._ He slaps a hand over I.M’s mouth, who freezes when he recognizes the presence too. “Shut up,” he mouths silently, ignoring his muffled groans of protest. Footsteps linger right outside the room. Heels of leather shoes clack noisily on the marble floors, then stops. Whoever it is, they’re dangerously close to blowing their cover. 

Kihyun feels something wet slide against his palm, the comprehension of what it is coming to him a second too late. _The little brat licked my hand,_ he seethed. He pulled his hand back, shooting a dirty look at I.M who just snickered in his face. 

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you one little thing..." I.M said, eyes filled with mischief, not worrying at all about the situation they’re in right now. 

"What?" Kihyun snaps back impatiently, still in a quiet voice. He's got no patience for I.M's games at the moment, they're this close to being compromised and he can't risk a bit of chit-chat that could potentially expose them. Before he knows it, I.M is leaning in at an extremely close proximity to him, his lips touching the shell of Kihyun's ear in a low whisper. 

"I can set up bombs, too." 

_Well, fuck. He really is something else, isn't he?_

"We could blow this whole place up if we wanted to." 

Time feels suspended around them. There’s a certain glint to I.M’s eyes that Kihyun can’t look away from. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t speak. The footsteps make their way again, and this time, it gradually fades as it gets further away. Only then does the Earth start to revolve again, and only then does Kihyun release the breath that he didn’t realize he’s been holding. 

"Doing that won't be necessary,” he says. “If we make this place explode, our target would just run off somewhere else and we can just consider this mission a failure." 

I.M pulls away from him, failing to suppress his giggle. "Okay, damn. I was just kidding." 

Kihyun stands up urgently. “We’re done for today. Let’s get the fuck out of here before anyone catches us.” 

I.M smiles. “No one’s going to catch us.” 

Maybe he’s right. He’s practically invisible, with how he’s erased every proof of his existence from society. They get out of the casino the same way they got in, and even then, Kihyun keeps thinking about how much of an enigma he is, and the fact that no one can seem to figure him out. Fresh air greets them when they climb out of the vents once more. Kihyun sighs. He’s exhausted. These thoughts would have to wait for later. 

He phones Hyunwoo, who answers at the first ring. “Boss? Mission accomplished. Though, I should tell you that our car is out for repairs because a certain someone forced me to be his personal chauffeur.” 

“Good work, men.” From the sound of it, Hyunwoo’s condition seems a lot better than the day before. They can practically hear his pleased grin through the radio waves. “I’ll take care of the repair fee. You can leave the premises with Jooheon and Minhyuk. Take a good, long rest tonight because your schedule’s about to become hectic.” 

“Not a problem. I’d rather be occupied than be sitting around doing nothing.” 

“Then, I’ll take your word for it.” 

Kihyun hangs up, feeling almost euphoric. He might just be a workaholic, but the rush of being in the field after being cooped up for so long compares to no other. He and I.M make their way to the black stakeout van across the street, a slight skip in their steps. 

“Piece of cake, wasn’t it?” Minhyuk asks once they slide into the van’s backseat. The whole car smells of fast food and there’s rap music playing on the stereo. Kihyun nods, a hint of distaste on his features. _Ugh. Stakeout duty is the most effortless job in the world._

“Wait, you guys went to Whataburger?!” I.M cuts in between them, eyes widening at the chicken sandwich in Jooheon’s hand. 

“None for you,” Jooheon snorts, moving his hand out of reach from the hungry pair of grabbers aiming for his food. 

“That reminds me, I’m fucking starving,” Kihyun groans, rubbing his belly exaggeratedly. 

Minhyuk laughs. It’s nice to see him laugh again. It feels like ages since they’ve last laughed together like this. “Since I pity you so much, strap on your seatbelts. We’re going to the drive-through.” 

Kihyun grins. “You’ve got great sense, Min.” 

Minhyuk winks. “And don’t I know it.” 

They drive through the roads in full-speed, rap music still blasting in the car, windows rolled down making the cool night air whip past their faces. If this were a coming-of-age film, this moment right now would be the ending credits. Life would be so carefree, and their worries would be nonexistent. Kihyun closes his eyes for a bit, putting himself in the place of a protagonist who has his head in the clouds. Someday, someday, he'll get to live that kind of life, but today, he’s fine as he is. 

I.M nudged him lightly on the side. His head is slumped over the headrest, looking tired but wearily contented. “I guess we can call this a success?” he asks, voice sleepily soft. He sounds happy, nonetheless. 

“Not bad,” Kihyun says, with a lopsided smile. “Not bad at all.” 

  
  
  
  


⛓

  
  
  
  


I.M looks even nicer without all the bandages on and with his bruises healed up. _It's only normal,_ Kihyun insists. When you're used to seeing a person in a beat-up state, their unscathed appearance becomes more pleasing to the eye. _Nothing but a trick of the mind._

It’s been two days since the infiltration, spent going through last-minute preparations before they commence the main phase of their operation. Tracking down their target won’t be as simple as ABC, and to do that, they need to worm their way in and destroy the establishment from the inside. It’s the most guaranteed method to lure the target out from his hiding place. 

They’re getting dressed for lunch, both having woken up late because well, there was nothing better to do than sleep in on a Sunday. Kihyun’s pulling his sweater over his head when a sleep-ridden voice calls out to him. 

"Kihyun-hyung." 

He pauses for a second, processing the information before turning around. Come to think of it, it’s the first time that he’s called Kihyun as his hyung, let alone by his name. "...What?" 

"Hey, do you wanna know my real name?" I.M’s already changed out of his pajamas, but he’s still curled up on his unmade bed. The heavy implication between his words and how casually he’s making it to be has Kihyun reeling. 

"I thought it was standard protocol for security agents to protect their own identities," he said, as neutral as he can. 

I.M toyed idly with the thin gold chain hanging around his neck. "I've broken a lot of rules before, you know." 

Curiosity wins over Kihyun. He’s heard of stories of hackers throwing their whole lives away, completely forgetting their real selves and their history, living through assumed personas in a world of shadows. He wonders if Changkyun is one of those people. Wonders if there are times when he wants to go back. 

A thought crosses Kihyun's mind. 

_Not only your name, but I’d like to know your past, the place you grew up in, what kind of person you like, how you take your coffee in the morning—_

No. Wrong time for that. He counts to three, wills the thought to disappear into nothingness. 

"Tell me, then," Kihyun speaks to distract himself from the fact that he wants to grab the other by the hair and crash their mouths together right now. The air is heavy and the room suddenly feels closed off. For a while, he can’t seem to breathe. 

His lips look unbelievably soft when he utters his name, but Kihyun is certain that it could feel even better than that. 

“Changkyun,” he says, “Im Changkyun." 

The corners of Kihyun’s lips twitch at his poor impersonation of a British man. "You're not James Bond. Cut it out with that fake accent." 

"Yeah, I'm not. But now you know who I am, right?" 

"Changkyun," Kihyun tests the name on his tongue, getting used to the syllables that he’ll be repeating a lot of times from now on. 

"That sounds good." Changkyun nodded, rising from his rumpled fortress of pillows and blankets. He looks almost triumphant as he stands, chin raised proudly and chest puffed up. It’s kind of adorable, really. 

Kihyun raises an eyebrow at him. "What does? Your name?" 

"Nah," Changkyun laughs a little as he shakes his head. "Your voice." 

He passes Kihyun on his way out, their shoulders brushing against each other fleetingly. 

Even in the hallways, the echo of his laughter is still audible. 

**Author's Note:**

> will be turning this into a oneshot once i finish writing, second half is probs going to be a lil heavier than this  
> please leave a kudos below if you'd like to see more, it really helps me to write faster! 💗
> 
> twt @ahwaeee


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